Momentary Illumination

I've felt out of sorts today, a bit grumpy with my colleagues at work, and then with the boys at home. Sorry guys! I know that it's a sign of being over tired. I intended to go out with the cycling club tonight but I arrived just a little too late. The A group were well in sight for the first mile but, into the wind on my own, I just didn't have the legs to catch them up. It could be that part of me actually didn't want to catch them. Part of me wanted to be out cycling on my own, focusing on the landscape rather than the back wheel of the rider in front. That part of me won out tonight.

Which was just as well because the conditions were great for photography. Dramatic skies and brooding clouds punctuated by moments of bright sunshine. If I was ever in doubt, the ride tonight confirmed just how well cycling and photography go together. It's not just that you get to see a continuous stream of new vistas, it's also that you can stop and be taking a picture in a matter of seconds. The sun broke through the clouds only momentarily, but when it did the illumination of strips of the landscape was breathtakingly beautiful. But you did have to be quick. Each such moment only lasted just a few seconds. This was my favourite of several such shots taken tonight.